MY SUMMER 2018 ALPHABET

Hello, dear readers! I thought it would be fun to do a summer recap in a form of an alphabet, so I gave it a try and wrote my own summer 2018 alphabet. It was an eventful summer, and it was interesting to reflect on it in this way. 

A is for ART

I'm really happy that this summer I earned another art course degree with Michelangelo Gallery. This is my fourth art course degree. I didn't study art, but I'm not a self-taught artist either.  I don't have a degree in Art ( I have a master's in English), but for a few years now I've been taking classes with Michelangelo Gallery Mostar and it was such a great experience. The reason I can't really say that I'm a self- taught artist is because I had wonderful teachers there. I did learn some things by myself, but I've also learned lots from others. This applies to both fashion illustrations (that I sometimes share on my blog) and more classical paintings. I'm learning as I go, and I'm always trying to improve my art skills and challenge myself.

             B is for B1 language certificate

This summer I finally earned a B1 language certificate for Italian language. I enrolled in A2 course at the start of the year. I already knew some Italian so I figured I better start with A2 instead of A1 and I guess I was right because I had had no problem passing the A2 test earlier this year. I'm really happy that I got my B1 course degree. I'm not sure will I be able to continue studying at this language school because there may not be enough students interested for a B2 class, but even if I don't I can always continue studying on my own. I love Italian language and culture, so I enjoyed this language course a lot. I've been reading books in Italian for a long time now, but I need more practice speaking and writing. Bellow you can see my painting of Florence. This painting is also available as a print on a variety of products in my Redbubble shop (you can see how it looks on a tshirt here).

acrylic on paper

C is for COURSES

I've been taking lots of courses and I happy about that. I'm a big believer that we should never stop learning. Courses typically cost both time and money, but I'd rather spend money on my education then on something else. I know enough about life to know that if you want to get better at something, you need to put in time and work. So, new courses it will be. Currently I'm attending my two courses. 

D is for DRESSES

This summer has been extremely warm, so I opted for dresses a lot. I've been a fan of wearing dresses in summer since I can remember, but this summer I really enjoyed it to the max. Here are some of my favourite picks.

1/ 2/ 3/ 4 / 5

E is for EMBROIDERY

I'm a big fan of embroidery in every shape and form,  so I was really happy to see yet another season of embroidered items trending. One of my highlights this summer was this cute bikini with blue embroidery. I only wore this bikini to sunbathe on my balcony one afternoon, because I haven't had any time to sunbathe this summer, but still I'd say it counts. Embroidery always looks beautiful and delicate. Knowing how to do embroidery has been helping me in learning fashion sewing details. 

F is for  FASHION ILLUSTRATION 

I have fallen in love with fashion illustration a long time ago. This summer I managed to make quite a few fashion illustrations. I also started to experiment with editing a little bit. I've started to mix my photography with my fashion illustrations. These two medias are very different, so it's simply fabulous to discover that they seem to get along. I'm very excited about working more on creating art collages that would include both my illustrations and my photography.

G is for GRATEFULNESS

Being grateful for what we have is so important. Despite some set backs I encountered this summer, I had so many things I could genuinely feel grateful for. I got the opportunity to study and learn new things. I didn't go on a typical vacation, but I did enjoy some lovely day trips. I've read some pretty amazing books, and seen some really good art. It was a good summer by my standards. 

H is for HAIR RECOVERY 

My hair actually got better this summer. Generally speaking my hair has been pretty healthy and it hadn't been affected by my health problems and anemia until recently. When my hairdresser warned me that my hair has suffered some damage and suggested some hair masks, I decided to go for natural hair masks. I googled natural hair masks, but I was to lazy to mix different ingredients together, so just applied some olive oil to my hair from time to time (usually a day before I would wash my hair), and my hair got healthier in a short time. So, if you've suffered hair damage due to anemia, this is what helped me. I'm really happy with my hair right now, and I keep wearing it down.

Dress: here

I is for INSPIRED BY

I can't tell you how happy I am to have been able to keep this feature running. This Summer I have illustrated a couple of really cute combos! Finding time to illustrate other bloggers is never easy, but it's something that makes me very very happy. This feature is definitely one of my favourite ones on this little place to call my own.

J is for JEWELLERY

In the past I was really into making and designing jewelley. While I don't make jewellery as often as I used to, I still wear and enjoy jewellery. This summer I've been wearing my own jewellery quite often. The necklace you can see bellow (placed next to my fashion illustration was one of my 'go to' necklaces this summer. I'm a big fan of statement necklaces, and wearing those I made myself is always fun.

K is for KRSTITELJ

Krstitelj is a novel by Croatian author Miro Gavran that I immensely enjoyed. Krstitelj in Croatian means Baptist and the novel retells the life of John the Baptist. What I love most about this book is that it shows another side to Salome, portraying her as a complex character. Salome in the book is not a negative character, but rather a positive one.  I'm not sure is this novel translated yet, but Miro Gavran is the most widely translated Croatian author (and the only living author to have a theater festival devoted to only to him, and in a foreign country at that!) so you'll probably be able to find at least some of his works. 

L is for LEGGINGS

Leggings are so practical that I wonder how I ever lived without them. Do you ever feel the same? How did we ever live without leggings? I hope they won't go out of fashion anytime soon. I have worn leggings often this summer. What about you?

M is for MOVEMENT

Human bodies are made for movement, that's something I repeat to myself a lot. Taking the time to go hiking or even to go for a short walk is extremely important, especially if we are not that physically active in our work place (and most of us aren't). These photographs bellow were taken when we went hiking to a nearby hill. Not only did we end up feeling relaxed, but we also collected some wild berries that I have used to make cakes and home made products. It was a win win situation and one of my favourite moments this summer. Nothing beats a walk in a fresh air! Plus, wearing this all striped look was so much fun. 

N is for NERETVA

I love this river so much. It's beautiful during any season and I just can't get enough of it. Neretva is simply magical. I have spent majority of this summer in the city I'm based in, and that would be Mostar. I was too busy with taking classes and I ended up being too ill to go on a vacation, but in retrospect my summer wasn't that bad. Moreover, what this summer has taught me is that I do love  two things: Mostar and Neretva river. Mostar is a beautiful city and Neretva is a gorgeous river. In that sense, I consider myself fortunate to have an opportunity to live here. 

O is for OPERATION

Another year, another traumatic and painful operation that didn't help with what is supposed to help with. It was a hard blow, but I'm doing my best to deal with it. As they say, there is no point is crying over spilled milk.

P is for PENCIL

I didn't think pencil was my media. I was always more attracted to oil , acrylics, watercolour paints and so on. But I learned to really enjoy working with pencil. Now, both pencil and coloured pencil are mediums I reach for. I try to find time for sketching because that seems like a pretty good way to keep one's creative juices going.

Q is for QUESTIONS

Last summer was a summer of questioning. I don't have all the answers, but I think I might be getting somewhere with my questions.

R is for RESTAURANT ROMANCA

We had a few relaxing lunches there this summer and shot some cute photographs (that I'm sharing today). Located in the vicincy of Mostar city, it's a lovely restaurant to visit. I love the vineyards that surround the area. If you are looking for a place to take photographs at in the area surrounding Mostar, this restaurant is a pretty good option.

S is for SPLIT

My hometown. I had spent only a couple of days in Split this summer, the reason for that being my operation and other stuff that has kept me away. I did have a nice time those few days  I was there. This summer (like the last one) meant not having a single beach day. Yes, that's right. I haven't swam in the sea for two full years. If someone would have told me that would happen some day, I wouldn't believe them. However, last time I was there I went for a walk by the sea. It is always lovely to visit Split city.

U is for UNIVERSITIES 

One of the my summer reads that stayed with me was My Universities by Maxim Gorky. This book made me realize how the best University we can get is the one we can't pay to attend- the life itself. My Universities is one of Gorky's autobiographical books, and I plan to read the others as well. 

V is for VOGUE COVER

I had a lot of fun illustrating the September British Vogue cover. Maybe I should try illustrating Vogue Covers a bit more often? I do find covers fascinating, for a variety of reasons. They can be so telling when it comes to trends. I've seen some really beautiful covers over the years. 

W is for WINE

I don't drink wine for health reasons, but I'm fascinated by wine culture. Croatia  (the country I come from) has such a rich winery tradition. Moreover, Herzegovina (the region I live in) is famous for its wines. This summer I have been translating one book about wine, and in the process I feel like I have learned a lot. Wine is a fascinating subject indeed!

X is for XIRAN XUE

I finally found the time to read The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices this summer. It is a hauntingly sad novel, but also at the same time encouraging in its portrayal of the power of the female spirit. Full review here. 

Z is for a ZIPPERS

I have told you that I'm taking a fashion sewing class with a local designer, haven't I? Well, one of the things I learned there is how to properly sew a zipper. Any kind of zipper. I had no idea there were so many zippers out there and so many ways to sew them in. I had no idea that the zipper can really break or make a dress. I definitely learned a lot about zippers.

THANK YOU FOR READING & VISITING!